This application relates to striking devices used to train individuals for fighting in sporting events and in combat situations, as well as for individuals who wish to use these training methods for personal fitness, weight loss and recreational purposes.
In particular, it relates to training devices for the practice of hand, foot, elbow and knee strikes for improvement of skills in the area of Martial Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, Kick Boxing, Law Enforcement, Military, or any other field where a total body workout is desired while practicing fighting skills.
With the ever growing interest in martial arts by both civilians and the military (particularly mixed martial arts), a sturdy device that will allow a user to practice and improve skills without causing harm to others would be beneficial.
In the prior art, it is often necessary to have a partner hold a striking device; those wishing to improve their skills when they are alone are limited in their choices. Injuries are also a common problem when holding striking devices for others.
A key part of true combat fighting is the use of upper cut strikes, elbow strikes and knee strikes. There is no prior art that we could locate that is designed to allow a user to practice elbow and knee strikes, particularly in combination with hand strikes and kicks, without multiple equipment adjustments.
The use of various types of padded striking devices which could be utilized to improve hitting and kicking skills using some type of spring mechanism is well known in the prior art. As far back as U.S. Pat. No. 615,700 issued to Hess on Dec. 13, 1898 shows a punching bag with a spring mechanism. Today, large heavy punching bags, which are usually mounted by a single harness from an overhead support, largely represent the state of the art in providing striking practice for developing kicking and punching skills. An important deficiency experienced with this art is they are only useful in developing punching skills of straight punches, or “hook” punches, (a close punch delivered from the side). Lacking in this art is the ability to develop an uppercut punch (a rapidly rising blow delivered with the arm bent up), or strikes with the knees or elbows from above or below.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 issued to Anquetil on Oct. 27, 1987, a training dummy for combat sports is described. When reviewed closely, several deficiencies are found.
Most prior art also fails to provide the so-called “bounce-back after the strike is delivered. This is a feeling that occurs in an actual event when an individual lands a strike on another person. In most prior art, a strike lands on a dull and unresponsive surface which 1) does not accurately simulate what occurs in an actual fighting situation and 2) does not provide an ‘incentive’ for continued strikes.
U.S. Patent Application No. US 2004/0220021 A1, Nov. 4, 2004 to Bryant for a Martial Arts Practice Apparatus which indicates a wall mounted device with a singular striking pad mounted on wood with springs. It includes an electrical circuit that blinks. This device does not appear to address the issue of durability, particularly when utilized for military, law enforcement, or high level martial arts. In particular, the electrical circuitry may not be practical when the unit is experiencing heavy usage. The forces involved would eventually loosen wires or damage the lights which could render this concept useless. Application 0220021 also does not appear to be practical for the practice of knee, elbow and upper cut strikes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,029 describes a device “. . . comprising a base and at least two arc supports of differing heights”. The inventor goes on to describe the invention as one that can be used by “students . . . of a variety of size and strengths”. It appears that the inventor is using the terms ‘size’ and ‘strength’ synonymously. The invention in question makes a provision for adjusting the tension of the springs, which would allow users of different strengths to use the machine (note that this would be AFTER the machine was adjusted), however, there are only two pads, and the heights of the pads are not variable. Therefore, it would be impractical, if not impossible, for a 5-year-old student to use the device and for a 25-year-old to use it without adjustment. Our device allows for use by users of all sizes without any adjustments whatsoever. Also, because the pads of U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,029 are set at a single height, it only allows the practice of strikes at those two levels, not at a variety of levels as our device allows. The mounting of one pad behind the other in U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,029 leads us to believe that it is, at best, impractical, and at worst, dangerous, to perform kicking strikes on the back pad. Therefore, this limits kicking strikes to only one pad that must be adjusted multiple times.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 issued to Anquetil on Oct. 27, 1987, a training dummy for combat sports is described. When reviewed closely, several deficiencies are found. The side to side movement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 does not necessarily accurately simulate an opponent. When fighting an actual opponent their tactical movements would be based on real attacks and counter attacks, and not random, side to side movements based on chance. In addition, the 5 degree forward angle starting position of U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 results in an unrealistic starting point for the athlete when striking the device. Fighters of all different styles would be hard pressed to find an opponent leaning 5 degrees forward with their face or body. In one embodiment, FIG. 2, of U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 it shows arms and legs but they cannot engage the athlete with realistic skills, and appear very suspect to durability.
The numerous and varied assembly groups that are used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 require a plethora of moving parts. These parts may require periodic maintenance and replacement, adding an additional downtime and expense. Further, there are numerous assembly groups and components within the device that appear to be working against one another to create the intended movements. For instance, the spring used to return the dummy to “it's most inclined position forward” (along the vertical axis), is fine for that purpose, however, stresses will be created on the mounting point of the spring when the bearing shaft allows the dummy to move along the horizontal axis. Another area of concern is the use of a tubular sheath over the vertical mounting element. This type of design may tend to bind up under moderate or heavy use. In summary, when strikes and kicks are delivered with great force, and/or in a continuous fashion over a long period of time, the durability of U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 is an issue.
Another shortcoming of U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 is that using a sliding head frame to perform upper cuts and requiring a hydraulic or screw jack to adjust the devices height requires multiple adjustments that stop, or slow down the flow of a workout. Our devices strategically placed, slanted pad surfaces require no adjustment, allowing an athlete, from an average 5 year old, up to a skilled MMA fighter, to work out on the device using the same strikes, kicks, elbows, knees or any combination of these without any adjustments or stoppage in the flow of the workout.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472, the inventor describes a “fixing element 6 of the support can be attached to a wall of training building or propped up between its ceiling and floor”. In the description, the sturdiness of the method of attachment to floor, ceiling or wall is so vague it begs for further description or proof for practical, real world usage. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,472 lacks the sturdiness and practicality of our attachment to the wall.
Most prior art also fails to provide the proper “bounce-back” after the strike is delivered. This is a feeling that occurs in an actual event when an individual lands a strike on another person. In most prior art, a strike lands on a dull and unresponsive surface which 1) does not accurately simulate what occurs in an actual situation and 2) does not provide an ‘incentive’ for continued strikes.